Twenty Years Ago [Illustrated]
Wesselenyi [Illustrated]
Winona [Illustrated]




PREFACE

At odd hours during an active and busy life I have dallied with the
Muses. I found in them, in earlier years, rest from toil and drudgery
and, later, relief from physical suffering.

Broken by over-work and compelled to abandon the practice of my
profession--the law, I wrote _Pauline_ after I had been given up to die
by my physicians. It proved to be a better 'medicine' for me than all
the quackeries of the quacks. It diverted my mind from myself and,
perhaps, saved my life. When published, its reception by the best
journals of this country and England was so flattering and, at the same
time, the criticisms of some were so just, that I have been induced to
carefully revise the poem and to publish my re-touched _Pauline_ in this
volume. I hope and believe I have greatly improved it. Several of the
minor poems have been published heretofore in journals and magazines;
others of equal or greater age flap their wings herein for the first
time; a few peeped from the shell but yesterday.

I am aware that this volume contains several poems that a certain class
of critics will condemn, but they are my "chicks" and I will gather them
under my wings.